Phil's children's books, which are wonderfully illustrated, set out to teach, in a light and fun way, tattoo appreciation, and talk about why some moms and dads may look a little more colorful than others. If you've ever been asked by kids why you have drawings on your arms, these books offer some ideas when you want to avoid talking about that drunken night in Thailand.

From today through December 23January 1st, my new Black Tattoo Art 2will be on sale for $140 (including free shipping in the US); the Black & Grey Tattoo box set is on sale for $300 (originally $399); and the individual books of the set are $120 each.

Many of you know that I'm a huge fan of blogger/author/all-around-awesome-human-being Jinxi Boo Caddel for a myriad of reasons, many of which I've written about here before. Well, here's another reason: her Inspiration Art Project Series, beautiful hardcover publications designed to do exactly what the name says -- inspire exciting interpretations of particular themes by presenting a finely curated ensemble of art in different mediums focused on those themes.

Eight Arms of Inspiration: The Octopus Art Project book, which Jinxi co-published with Memento Publishing, is a perfect example of this. In the book's 336 pages, the octopus is interpreted by 440 artists of different disciplines and genres in nearly 1,000 different ways, including tattoos, photos, graffiti, jewelry, cake art, glasswork, pottery, poetry and so much more. If you're looking for reference for your next eight-armed cephalopod tattoo, this book is a must-have especially.

The next incarnation of the Inspiration Art Project series will be entomology and insects, and Jinxi is looking for your bug art, also in all different kinds of mediums as long as the artwork focuses on insects, arachnids, or snails, -- and it should be some kickass work. [For the Eight Arms book, they had close to 1,900 images submitted, so naturally not everyone makes the cut.] The deadline for submission is June 3, 2013. More info here. A bird-inspired book is schedule for 2014.

Here's the best part of this project: a percentage of the proceeds of all book sales through Jinxi's Out of Step Books goes to Donorschoose.org in an effort to keep arts education alive and thriving. So far, donations have gone to 23 art classrooms in need, and donations will continue with the new insect book. There are also art prints for purchase, and all the proceeds from those sales go to Donorschoose.org. See why I'm such a huge fan of hers?!

It's not often we highlight reference books, despite the many wonderful ones out there, but when the designs are created by artists Ichibay and Mauricio Teodoro -- and produced by Luke Atkinson, no less -- we have to share such tattoo goodness.

Luke, a master in Japanese influenced tattooing, has inspired a continued movement towards tattoos that are fine art themselves, and he has given a great deal to the tattoo community in that regard. Many know him for being one of the few to tattoo master Horiyoshi III. But there's so much more to Luke's history that it would take multiple blog posts to do it justice. Check his online portfolio to better understand what I mean. There's also this very cool video by Lightweight Wheels, that offers a look into his Checker Demon Tattoo studio in Stuttgart, Germany.

His Checker Demon Press further inspires artists and collectors seeking reference for their next tattoo. And they are also just beautiful to look at.

"Japanese Tattoo Designs" by Ichibay is a limited edition, 120-page softcover filled with more than 350 black and white illustrations in various mediums, and printed on high quality ivory paper. The foreword is written by Luke, offering context for Ichibay's masterful artwork. The book sells for 85 Euros including shipping in Europe, and 95 Euros including shipping worldwide.

"Dragons/Dragoes" by acclaimed Brazilian tattooist Mauricio Teodoro is a limited edition hardcover (340mmx240mm), containing 80 pages of amazing black and white dragons, also in various mediums on high quality paper. The forewords are written by Luke and the Dutchman. Take a peak inside the book here. The book sells for 185 Euros including shipping in Europe, and 200 Euros including shipping worldwide.

Payments can be made via PayPal to order@checker-demon-press.com. For more info, email checker.demon.tat2@t-online.de.

Hardy Marks Publications is excited to announce the re-release of all five issues of our historic Tattootime magazine in one boxed set. This
year marks the 30th anniversary of our premier publishing effort, New
Tribalism, the book that detonated the explosive growth of tattooing in
the late twentieth century.

Now all five Tattootimes -- New Tribalism (1982), Tattoo Magic (1983),
Music & Sea Tattoos (1984), Life & Death Tattoos (1987), and Art
From the Heart (1991) are in two beautiful hardbound volumes, enclosed
in a sturdy slipcase. All contents are from the first edition of each
original--subsequent reprints omitted some material. The combined volumes
add up to 352 full color pages, plus original covers, and an added
27-page subject and title index to the entire series.

Tattootime truly changed the world--documents, ideas, and images that have become legendary. Now experience its timeless impact.

The 248-page softcover, released by State of Grace Publishing, is an interview book with thirteen different artists and includes hundreds of photos. Jill explains the impetus behind this three-year project and some highlights of the book:

We chose to interview some of the most inspiring tattoo artists around, spanning several generations and a variety of genres and styles. The idea was to bring together a group of artists dedicated to celebrating tattooing as a tradition with respect and discipline. The book features Richard Stell, Oliver Peck, Jef Whitehead, Henning Jorgensen, Chris Trevino and Gary Cosmala to name a few.

Tattoo Artist also contains a chapter about Pinky Yun, the legendary Hong Kong tattoo artist who brought his craft right here to San Jose. Pinky really introduced the Western world to Oriental tattoo designs with the flash he created for Spaulding and Rogers. He was also a close friend of Ed Hardy's and is cited in Hardy's Sailor Jerry Collins; American Tattoo Master as inspiring Sailor Jerry's pin-ups through their correspondences. With Pinky's unfortunate passing this year it is an honor to have captured his legacy to share with the world.

Inspired by the Ladies, Ladies Art Show, today's holiday gift guide post features books that celebrate tattooed ladies through history. These titles have all been mentioned here before but worth repeating for those who haven't scooped them up yet.

* The Tattooed Lady: A Historyby Amelia Klem Osterud is a beautiful hardcover that explores the lives of tattoo's godmothers, complete with fascinating narratives and photos dating back to the 1880s. We wrote about its release last November, and it still sits close to my desk for reference. For more info, check out Amelia's blog.

* The Tattooing Arts of Tribal Women by tattoo anthropologist Lars Krutak is a scholarly book on the role of women as tattooists in many indigenous cultures, with over 250 photos & illustrations. Lars has a new book out called Kalinga Tattoo, which is so gorgeous it warrants its own post. That's coming up.

* Madame Chinchilla's Electric Tattooing by Women 1900-2003 is a yearbook of women tattoo artists over a century. It's not a fancy book but it is a Who's Who of Tattoo up until 2003 with quotes from each artist.

* On the fiction front, check out Tattoo Artist: A Novel
by Jill Ciment -- a story about a New York artist who is marooned in the South Pacific and
eventually becomes a revered tattooist among the Tu'un'uu people at
the turn of the century. It then flashes forward, 30 years later, when
she returns as a heavily tattooed woman to New York. A fun read.

If you have your own favorites, feel free to share them in the comments.

... so much so that I'm trying to rush my To Do list before I leave for Greece Wednesday in hopes I can catch her reading tomorrow night at the Book Court in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn at 7PM.

Once I get my hands on it, I'll do a review; meanwhile, here's a taste from the description:

"In 1851 Olive Oatman was a thirteen-year old pioneer traveling west
toward Zion, with her Mormon family. Within a decade, she was a white
Indian with a chin tattoo, caught between cultures.

The Blue Tattoo
tells the harrowing story of this forgotten heroine of frontier
America. Orphaned when her family was brutally killed by Yavapai
Indians, Oatman lived as a slave to her captors for a year before being
traded to the Mohave, who tattooed her face and raised her as their
own.

She was fully assimilated and perfectly happy when, at nineteen,
she was ransomed back to white society. She became an instant
celebrity, but the price of fame was high and the pain of her ruptured
childhood lasted a lifetime.

Based on historical records, including letters and diaries of Oatman's friends and relatives, The Blue Tattoo
is the first book to examine her life from her childhood in
Illinois--including the massacre, her captivity, and her return to white
society--to her later years as a wealthy banker's wife in Texas.

Oatman's blue tattoo was a
cultural symbol that evoked both the imprint of her Mohave past and the
lingering scars of westward expansion. It also served as a reminder of
her deepest secret, fully explored here for the first time: she never
wanted to go home."

While I wrote about it for Needled.com, I wanted to post here as well because I feel this photo book is must for any serious tattoo collector.

Unlike
many other Japanese tattoo books, it shows the full spectrum of tattoo
art in Japan today from the traditional bodysuits adorning Yakuza to
interpretations of Americana and tribal tattoo work by the new school
of Japanese tattooists.

By electrical means, without painYour pure epidermis may gain From head unto heels -- the idea appealsDecorations of which you will
be vain

I came across Pierced Hearts and True Love via SOI 13 Books based out of Thailand. SOI 13 is a project by C. Wirzman, who tracks down "rare and unusual" books on tattooing and offers them at reasonable rates for resale on his site. I did a price comparison of Pierced Hearts and True Love for example, and SOI 13 did have the lower rate, prompting me to share this online shop with y'all even though the book titles are limited and you'll probably buy up all the ones I want before I get to them.

Other books include Irezumi, The Pattern of Dermatology Dermatography written by W.R. van Gulik, the son of a Netherlands ambassador; Tattoo World, written in Hebrew by Sailor Mosko; and a number of titles on traditional Thai tattooing.

Also on the SOI 13 site, Wirzman excerpts fiction and non-fiction writing on tattooing in his Content section. Here's a taste from The Tattooer, which is the featured text online now:

Visitors to the pleasure quarters of Edo preferred to hire palanquin
bearers who were splendidly tattooed; courtesans of the Yoshiwara and
the Tatsumi quarter fell in love with tattooed men. Among those so
adorned were not only gamblers, fireman, and the like, but members of
the merchant class and even samurai. Exhibitions were held from time to
time; and the participants, stripped to show off their filigreed
bodies, would pat themselves proudly, boast of their own novel designs,
and criticize each other's merits.

Bookmark SOI 13 for an update on their book sales and clips of tattoo texts.